The present invention relates to a packaging unit comprising a receiving chamber provided with a bottom for receiving popcorn, or the like.
It is widely known that e.g. people who are visiting movie theaters or so-called multiplexes take along popcorn, corn chips, or the like, together with a drink into the performance room; these were bought by them at a booth or in a sales room of the movie theater before. Popcorn, or the like, is offered in a bag or a packaging made from cardboard and the drink is offered in a separate beverage cup. It is quite uncomfortable for a visitor to transport and hold the two separate packaging units, for which he mostly needs both of his hands.
The same problem can be observed in other events, such as sports events, at fairs or exhibitions when visitors have bought a bag or a box containing food or edibles and a drink.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a packaging unit with which e.g. popcorn or chips, but also French fries, pastry, pasta, fried poultry, fried fish, etc., as well as a beverage can be carried with one hand in a so-called combination package.
This object is achieved according to the invention by the features of patent claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims.
The invention provides a packaging unit comprising a receiving chamber provided with a bottom for receiving popcorn, or the like, wherein a mounting, hereinafter called xe2x80x9cpocketxe2x80x9d, is secured to the receiving chamber on the outside and a beverage cup can be inserted into said mounting. The packaging unit is made from cardboard of a rigid paper quality or, for example, also from plastics.
Preferably, the beverage container has the shape of a cup which is slightly conically enlarged upwards and which can be inserted into the pocket in a clamp seat. The pocket is thereby firmly clamped around the cup, whereby cup and pocket form a rigid unit which is sufficiently stable to withstand pressure exerted from the outside. Since the pocket is secured to the side wall of the receiving chamber, such a combination package according to the invention can easily be carried by one hand gripping around the pocket.
As a rule, an annular holding loop or an annular holding tongue, for example, can also be secured as a mounting to the receiving chamber on the outside.
Preferably, when viewed in ground plan, the receiving chamber has a cornered shape which may be rectangular or square. If in accordance with a further suggestion of the invention the pocket is secured in the area of a corner, this results in a particularly stable unit consisting of receiving chamber and pocket.
While the receiving chamber for receiving popcorn etc. comprises a bottom, this is not necessary for the insertion pocket. It preferably consists of only one side wall enclosing the inserted beverage cup. It is however within the scope of the invention that the pocket may also be provided with a bottom on which the beverage container may rest, and said container need also not be inserted in a clamp seat by necessity, though this constitutes the preferred embodiment of the invention.
According to a further advantageous suggestion, the pocket is formed of side parts passing into one another via fold lines. It is here expedient that the fold lines extend in parallel with one another, so that the pocket has a constant cross-section over its height. This, however, is not imperative; the fold lines may also extend at an angle relative to one another, so that the pocket is upwardly enlarged.
Expediently, three side parts are provided that are preferably of the same width so that the pocket (before insertion of the beverage cup) has a square ground plan. The fourth side is preferably formed by the associated side part of the receiving chamber.
As an alternative, the pocket may also consist of four side parts of its own, of which one is adhesively fastened to the receiving chamber on the outside.
If only three side parts are provided for the pocket, the first and third side parts may each be provided with a fastening tongue which is adhesively secured to the outer wall of the receiving chamber.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the packaging unit, the pocket is however not formed from a blank separated from the receiving chamber, but the receiving chamber and the pocket are made from a one-part blank. This considerably simplifies the manufacture of the packaging unit according to the invention. In further details, according to one suggestion, a side part of the receiving chamber provided at one end passes into a side part of the pocket, and the opposite side part of the pocket passes via a fold line into a fastening tongue which is fastened to the neighboring side part of the receiving chamber on the outside. As has already been mentioned, such a fastening is carried out by gluing whenever the packaging unit is made from cardboard, while sealing is also possible in the case of a packaging unit of plastics.
Furthermore, it is suggested that the lower edge of the pocket should be in alignment with the bottom edge of the receiving chamber. The invention, however, is not limited thereto, but the pocket can also terminate above the lower edge of the receiving chamber.
Expediently, the upper edge of the pocket ends below the upper edge of the receiving chamber, which need not necessarily be the case. In an expedient embodiment of the invention, the pocket extends over about 60 to 80% of the height of the receiving chamber.
The upper edges of the side parts of the pocket may have a curved shape, a flat section of the shape of a circular arc being e.g. cut away such that the corner portions have the largest height.
The insertion pocket need not necessarily be formed from side parts separated by fold linesxe2x80x94although this is of particular advantage. As a rule, the pocket might also have a circular cylindrical shape or a frustoconical shape, which, however, makes the manufacture of the packaging unit more expensive.
The packaging unit according to the invention can be carried along and held with one hand not only in a comfortable manner but it also simplifies and expedites the delivery or sale of popcorn, or the like, and of an accompanying drink, which is very desirable especially for movie theaters or so-called multiplexes because shortly before the beginning of a show there is a great demand for popcorn, or the like, with an accompanying drink, and this demand can be satisfied much faster with the help of the combination package according to the invention.